TV show Starfire meets comic book Starfire
by Ninetailsjinx
Summary: What would happen if Starfire a la the TV show met her counterpart from Red Hood and the Outlaws?


**Like many other fans who fell in love with Starfire when she made her TV premiere on the Cartoon Network in the early 2000s, I was disappointed-disgusted even-at the way DC writers changed her for the "New 52" DC Universe reboot. Now, I understand that the cartoon Starfire is incredibly innocent compared to the original one, so I can't fault writers for wanting to give the rebooted Starfire a little more license to explore her sexual freedom than the cartoon, but the robotic, impassive attitude she had toward...everything, infuriated me because it wasn't in keeping with the highly emotional, sensitive personality she's had for decades. Then there's the whole amnesiac story line that had me completely confused because it just seemed like a lazy way to explain the inconsistencies in her character, but really, that only added to my irritation. Of course, Cartoon Network's Starfire isn't 100% authentic either, but having grown up with the decidedly more innocent Starfire who blushed from merely hugging Robin, the reboot was a major surprise, especially in consideration of the images littering the internet depicting the rebooted Starfire's overt sexuality that clearly marks her as a character written for men, not young women like me who looked up to the heroine while growing.**

**Which brings me to the premise of my first fanfiction: what if Starfire (from the TV show) met her counterpart from the New 52?**

Starfire took a hard hit from Cinderblock as he charged up the downtown street—a cement fist to her chest, a cement thumb to her face—which caused a fierce ache in her ribs and head. The impact stopped her forward trajectory and sent her flying over a building in the opposite direction. She vaguely heard the call of "Starfire!" from the Teen Titan's leader, Robin, but she was too dazed to react, and he too slow to intercept her, before she disappeared behind the brick structure Cinderblock had sent her toward.

Before she hit the cement, Starfire felt herself enveloped within strong arms, which caught her and lowered her softly to the ground. Starfire opened her eyes and waited for her vision to clear, expecting to see Robin above her. Her eyes focused on the silhouette of her hero, standing a few feet away, and she quickly realized it wasn't who she had believed it would be.

Shadow partially obscured the stranger, but even in the fading light of dusk, Starfire could tell that the person was a woman, a redhead like her. As her headache subsided, she slowly sat up, then stood, keening her ears for cries of help from the sounds of much-animated battle not too far from her. She illuminated her hands with her starbolts for a better look at the woman, who did the same, though with rose-colored energy. Starfire's eyes widened in shock as familiarity registered on an instinctual level.

"You look like me; please, are we related?" Starfire stared openly at the woman in front of her, who in turn regarded her with cold eyes. They did share some similarities, even if the differences between the two women's appearances were enough to make Starfire cringe inwardly. They had the same golden-toned skin, the same long, ruby red hair, green eyes and penchant for purple uniforms, including thigh-high boots of the same amethyst color, but whereas Starfire's green gaze included black pupils and a distinctive iris, this woman's eyes were one solid color, as though someone had simply placed solid emeralds into her skull instead of warm, inviting eyes.

And her costume appalled Starfire: while she understood that Tameraneans needed to expose their skin to absorb solar energy, she did not appreciate the scant clothing chosen by this taller, older foreigner. The purple fabric circled her neck like a piece of ostentatious jewelry, then split into two tracks just below her collar bone to barely cover her unnaturally voluptuous breasts before advancing in thin strips down her rib cage where they met at her belly button. Thankfully, the costume covered her crotch, though it exposed most of her butt.

The other woman gazed dispassionately at Starfire while the young Titan assessed and studied her. After an uncomfortable silence, the foreigner spoke: "You are me, from the past."

Starfire gasped: this half-naked heroine with pink starbolts was her future counterpart?

"Starfire!" Robin called again, and Star realized that the battle commotion had ended. She heard the Boy Wonder's footfalls pounding against the asphalt from just a dozen or so yards away through the closest alleyway. "Star!" Robin yelled when he came into view, then ran in between his teammate and the newcomer. He whipped out a birdarang from his utility belt and prepared to throw it before asking: "Who are you?"

The future Starfire laughed; her voice, already deeper than the present version's, suddenly grew huskier. The beauty was easily Cyborg's height, so when she leaned toward the Boy Wonder, her ample bosom was only a few inches away from his face. His cheeks flushed visibly. "Robin, I had forgotten how silly you looked in green tights," she whispered in a deadpan voice. "Do you not recognize your friend, Starfire?"

"Huh?" Robin relaxed his stance but kept his weapon out regardless.

"I am sorry," Starfire uttered, embarrassed and blushing, "but you must be mistaken. I would never…" she trailed off awkwardly as she pointed to the woman's costume, unable to speak truthfully for fear of embarrassing her savior.

Her counterpart smiled coolly, as though amused by her younger self's horror. "Don't worry Kori, you'll learn to love the attention. I do."

Raven, Beastboy, in the form of a horse, and Cyborg flew, galloped and ran around the corner and stopped in their tracks as they saw the woman.

"Dude!" Beastboy gasped as he transformed back into his human form.

"More introductions are needed, I see," the other Starfire stated. "Cyborg and Beastboy I recognize, of course," she pointed at each Titan in turn, but hesitated when the direction of her finger landed on the team's resident sorceress. "And Raven. We didn't work together long, but how could one forget the daughter of the demon Trigon?" She finished caustically. "I'm Starfire, from about ten years from now."

"Excuse me," Starfire interrupted shyly, "But this name you call me, 'Kori', it is not correct. I am—"

"Starfire of the Teen Titans, Tameranean princess, protector of Earth's Jump City and widow to both General Phy'zzon and Karras? I know—same person, remember? But your real name, your Tameranean name, is 'Koriand'r,' changed to 'Kori Anders' for the purposes of creating a secret identity."

"I do not have a secret identity," Starfire protested. She caught sight of Robin's shocked expression. "Nor have I ever been married," she finished emphatically.

The future Starfire appeared skeptical, and the two simply stared at one another for a long moment.

"Larry," Robin muttered. Both Starfires looked to the Titan's leader.

"Yes, Robin?" They asked together.

"Remember Larry, Star? Little guy with a magic finger who turned out to be me from an alternate universe?"

"Yes," answered the teenaged Star. "No," replied her double.

"That has to be it," Cyborg agreed.

"As long as she is who she says she is," Raven muttered darkly.

"So you're saying this is the Starfire from Larry's Teen Titans? Dude he really lucked out!" Beastboy said. Raven stomped on his foot.

"Who is this 'Larry' person?" The older Starfire asked.

"Larry's my doppelganger from another universe, where 'Robin' has magical powers capable of bending reality. When he visited me here, we found that we had the same DNA, the same costume, but different experiences and abilities. If you and Star are the same person, but with different memories, then it's possible that you might be her, only from a different reality."

"Interesting idea," the other Starfire admitted.

"Who's up for going back to the Tower to figure this out in a place that isn't so creepy, huh?" Cyborg asked.

"What about Cinderblock?" teen Starfire asked.

"Butt-kicked and tied up with a couple of steel beams," Cyborg replied with a grin. "That should hold him till the authorities arrive."

Robin nodded in agreement and the Titans, their new addition included, turned as one to their home outside Jump City.

"Hold on," Beast Boy yelled out. "This is gonna get real confusing, real fast. If you're the future Starfire from an alternate dimension where you have a secret identity and multiple husbands," he pointed at the newcomer, "and you're our Starfire who's never been married and has lived with Raven for years, but both of you have the same name and belong to the Teen Titans and make Robin go all goo goo eyed—" Beastboy took a deep breath to finish his statement as the aforementioned Boy Wonder glared and flushed red. "—then how are we going to know who we're talking about or who we're talking to and how to keep from being confused?" BB crossed his arms and frowned at the two Tameranians.

The future heroine answered with a shrug: "Call me Kori; I'm used to it anyway."

Back at the Tower, the three male Titans gaped openly at Kori as she stepped into the fluorescent lighting of the living room. She twirled around in a graceful spin, giggling at her former teammates' reactions. Though the night shadows—and the absurdity of meeting another doppelganger—had mercifully detracted attention from Kori's revealing costume, the bright light of the room emphasized it in uncomfortable detail, and Starfire experienced new mortification that anyone could possibly dress themselves so provocatively and still expect others to take them seriously as a hero.

_"Robin would never reveal that much skin in battle," _Starfire thought. _"It leaves one too vulnerable; even the place over her—our—heart is without any protection!"_ Starfire looked over at her leader with respect, then noticed his unadulterated attention on her counterpart's private areas. She elbowed him in the ribs. He grunted in pain, noticed his teammate's ire, and looked away, ashamed at having been caught.

"Beastboy, Cyborg," Raven drawled, equally annoyed, "could you maybe not stare at one of your teammates like that?" The boys snapped out of their reverie, but continued to glance furtively at the older, more exotic version of their friend.

"First we'll do a full body scan of both Starfires so the computer can do a complete analysis, then we can take skin samples to compare DNA."

"You want to scan my full body and sample my skin?" Kori asked seductively, "I can deal with that."

Cyborg and the present Tameranian princess blushed, the first from embarrassment, the other with a building rage.

"Just, ah, wait here, Star—Kori—while I get the equipment," Cyborg said, then skirted out of the living room.

Kori smiled at her own private joke, then sauntered over to Beast Boy. "So, you little green animal you, are there any other heroes with your power running around this universe or are you the only one?"

Beastboy puffed out his chest and put his fists on his hips proudly. "Far as I know I'm the one and only; you can't copy the Beastman, baby."

Raven rolled her eyes and edged over to Starfire.

"It is difficult to believe that she and I come from the same _karflunk_, yes?" Starfire whispered.

Raven shrugged. "If Robin and Cyborg think her story's credible then we should probably trust her until the results say otherwise."

"Beastman is right, baby," Kori giggled, "But I do wish you knew of another; if you had an equal on this plane then maybe I could find him in my world and snap him up for myself," she winked.

"What about my double in your world?" Beastboy asked.

Kori waved a hand absent-mindedly. "Last I heard he was Raven's property."

"On second thought," Raven muttered under her breath, "She's probably an evil clone and we should eradicate her immediately."

But Starfire's mind had focused on something else in Kori's statement.

"If you are available for the 'snapping up,' does that mean you are not yet married?" Starfire inquired as innocently as possible.

"No," Kori replied. "Nightwing—Robin to you—and I were engaged once, but Raven killed the priest before he could pronounce us husband and wife. She was under her father's influence."

Starfire gasped audibly, Robin paled silently, and Raven simply walked out after Cyborg, but not before the nearest light bulb exploded with a blast of dark energy.

An awkward silence replaced Raven's presence as the remaining Titans shifted uncomfortably where they stood, with the exception of Kori, who simply yawned and cocked her hip out to emphasize her behind.

"But you guys are still together, right?" Beastboy encouraged.

"No, we've been broken up for ages—years, it seems."

Beastboy blanched to the color of key lime pie. "So I guess you're just friends?"

"Not unless sleeping together every once in a blue moon counts," she shrugged.

Starfire couldn't bear to look at Robin.

"Two husbands and Robin? You sound…popular with the boys," Starfire said.

"Oh that's nothing. There's also Red Arrow and Red Hood—known as Speedy and Red…oh who was he before he became Red Hood?"

"Not Red X," Starfire prayed.

"No," Kori shook her head. "One of the other Robins. Anyway, plus Captain Comet before them. But that's only off of the top of my head; my memory isn't what it should be these days."

"Er—your memory?" Starfire prodded, picking up the only part of Kori's response that didn't make her uncomfortable.

"Yeah, it's a thing. I don't really know how it happened but I'm just going to go with it. It sucks because I don't really remember some of the people I used to care about, but whatever."

"How about now, are you committed to anyone?" Starfire asked hopefully.

"Absurd. I am free to do what I want, when I want. I am not beholden to anyone."

Cyborg wheeled a host of complicated tech into the common room, whistling a jaunty tune and skipping. He stopped when he saw his teammate's appalled expressions. "Something happen that I need to know about?" He asked cluelessly.

Raven floated in behind him, her hood drawn and her expression grim. "Let's just get this over with," she requested.

"Good idea. It'll give me some time to catch up with Robin over here later," Kori said, winking at the Titan in question, who blushed red once again. Kori walked over to him and rested her arm on his shoulder. "You are so shy! We can work on that, too if you want," she told him, then reached down and conspicuously pinched his butt.

Starfire became incensed. She flew over to Kori and landed in between her alternate self and the Boy Wonder.

"Whoa! A little possessive, aren't you?" Kori joked.

"No, but you are disrespectful and I do not care for it! You may have my name and my powers, and you may share some aspects of my past and my appearance, but you are not me! I do not define myself by my body and how others treat me because of it, I do not toy with the idea of physical touch, and forget those who were dear to me in the past, and I do not disregard others' feelings as you do."

"Different planet, different culture than the Earthlings, or have you forgotten, little heroine?" Kori asked defensively.

"Tameran is a planet of love and compassion, 'future' Starfire. We are a people who never forget those we once loved; we take relationships very seriously, so the idea of you giving yourself up to so many men without a thought is—is not Tameranian. And your costume! You leave yourself open to attack with such a revealing design. Where is your armor? And where is your intelligence and your personality and your passion for life?"

Kori tried to interrupt but Starfire continued speaking. "Are you even in charge of your own destiny? Because it seems to me that you were created solely for the pleasure of Earthling males as an uncommitted, physical object that neither thinks of, nor cares about healthy relationships. You are not someone that other people can look up to, that I, a young woman with high aspirations, can look up to. I do not want to be you when I grow up, for you are not someone to be celebrated, only mocked and pursued by men."

"I'll agree that there's no way we could ever have been the same person-alternate universe or not. You're way too innocent, too naive and stupid," Kori sneered, "You think you know a little something about the world, but you know nothing."

"Starfire isn't stupid," Robin ground out, visibly agitated. "She's smarter than most people I've ever met because she knows the value of life, of love, and if that makes her seem naive, then it makes her all the more dangerous for when they find out otherwise.

Kori looked over to Robin and her expression softened. "Sorry if I insulted you, Boy Wonder, but the idea of giving back a little bit of torment after all you put me through was too tempting." She looked around one last time at the Titans. "I'll be leaving, now," she said impassively, then turned and walked to the door. A turn of the knob and a soundless take off later and she was gone, without ever having told the Titans how she had come to find them, or even the purpose of her visit in the first place.

"I am sure it is for the best," Starfire whispered softly.

**Thanks for reading and please review! I take constructive criticism very seriously so I'm looking forward for ways to improve both my writing and story. Also: please forgive me if there are some inconsistencies between comic-Starfire and the way I have written her here-I confess I haven't read an entire issue of the Outlaws series, just read a plethora of reviews and rants online from fellow disappointed female readers-so if you let me know which details need fixing, I'll be sure to do so.**


End file.
